The Orphans of Konoha
by bittersweetXromantic
Summary: Everyone over the age of twenty has died in Konoha for unknown reasons, including the Hokage. How will Konoha's children handle their deaths and the new threats from other villages with their limited experience? Doing Rewrite... read at own risk
1. The Fall of Konoha

_**The Orphans of Konoha**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and make no profit from writing this**

**Author's Note: **Hi, this is BittersweetXRomantic

I'm running an awards site for Naruto Fanfics. You can find the site at

community (dot) livejournal (dot) com/ biasite

However, I really want to make a strong Awards Site to award Naruto fanfics and need help. If you can, please nominate a story that you think should win for one/any/all of the categories. Just email me at luciferius (at) live (dot) com.

BittersweetXRomantic

**Summary: Everyone over the age of twenty has died in Konoha for unknown reasons. How will Konoha's children and teenagers handle new threats from other villages and new enemies without the support of their parents, senseis and more importantly, their Hokage? Will they step up and mature and do what must be done for the good of the village or will they fail as inexperience and their youth overtake them?**

**Warning: Although this should really be obvious, a lot of people are going to die**

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**Chapter One: The Fall of Konoha**

_The test of one's true character is not revealed during peace but in moments of pure chaos_

**bittersweetXromantic**

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"Run, Hanabi!" Hiashi screamed at his youngest child, even as blood dripped from his eye sockets and lips. The older man, now with hair streaked white and grey, clutched his lower abdomen in unbearable pain. He spat out more blood, coughing even as he tried to command his innocent daughter. Hanabi, despite being used to the sight of blood and her father's harshness, became completely white at the sight of her father's exponential amount of leaking blood. Her breath quickened as her father threw a kunai at her. Her heart froze, even as her feet leapt through the doors, scanning as she saw more and more Hyuugas dying all around her.

Hinata… Hinata would know what to do.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Hanabi's eyes strained to recognize her sister's unique chakra coils. Please, I need your help sister! Hanabi's leg carried her throughout the village, to the training grounds and even beyond the borders of the village and yet her sister was nowhere to be found. Her heart quickened as she saw more people fall to the floor in writhing pain. Her mouth became dry as fear enveloped her completely.

This couldn't be happening! Konoha was under attack!

Children were screaming in the streets, clutching their parents. Babies were left unattended. Teenagers ran in futile circles, trying to find help. Hanabi ran to the hospital and realized how all the upper-level medics had also fallen ill. The new medic trainees stared in horror as blood leaked from every pore. They were useless without the assistance of their medic advisors.

Where are you, Hinata? Suddenly, a patch of dark long hair! Hanabi immediately raced after her.

"Hinata!" Hanabi screamed as she threw herself into her sister's familiar and motherly arms.

Hinata's eyes widened at the sight of her sister. Suddenly, it only meant one thing if all these people around her were any indication.

"What happened?" her voice trembled yet there was no stutter as Hinata's eyes hardened. Hanabi had never seen her sister this way before. It was as if she had changed completely.

Her own voice trembled, "F-father… he - "

Hinata took at a dead run while Hanabi had to stare a moment before running after her sister. When they reached the compound, dozens of Hyuugas laid very still in pools of red liquid. Birds chirped in the background. The deep blue sky was heavy with puffy white clouds. The wind flowed gently and yet not even the beauty of nature could take away the horror of their motionless bodies.

Hyuuga children stared at their parents, older sisters and brothers and caretakers with wide, sad eyes. Their heads slowly turned and their white eyes glinted with tears at the sight of Hinata and Hanabi.

"Lady Hinata," they all whispered, afraid to make a sound.

Hanabi's lips trembled but Hinata merely clenched her fist. They were too late.

"Hanabi, take them to a room where no one has died. They don't need to see _this,_" her sister's voice boomed with steel. Hanabi only nodded her head as she gathered the children and tried to find a safe place. She turned around to look at her elder sister, whose hardened eyes glinted with some fierceness she had never before seen. Those hardened eyes scanned the deaths of her clan members. Hanabi hushed the crying children and took them away into the safety of the backrooms, used only during times of chaos and war.

Hinata, on all days, had not expected this. She had not expected anything like this when she woke up this morning. When one of the medic-nins started throwing up blood, she had simply thought only that medic-nin to be sick. Unfortunately, everyone who was older began to fall and leak blood from every entrance and exit of their bodies.

She had tried to help and then Hanabi had run through that door and into her arms. Hinata had never before seen such an expression of fear on her younger sister's usually composed and confident face.

Hinata's steps were light as she went into the main household's training room. Her hands lightly touched the edge of the sliding door. She drew in a deep breath and opened the door. There… the man who had meant everything to her, the cause of her pain, love and determination, laid pathetically in a pool of blood. Tears threatened to fall but didn't, her heart felt like exploding and yet somehow she found the courage to take steps forward and touch him.

She tried to think logically. Whatever was killing people, it seemed only to hurt mature adults. Children and teenagers were safe. Hinata laid her hands on her father's body, tracing his face. Hanabi entered the room after her.

Hinata stared at his haunted face and realized that even in death, he was stern-looking. She touched his neck and felt no pulse, as they had all suspected.

"Collect what bodies you can and pile them outside the compound – we need to burn them before it spreads more. Neji has yet to return to Konoha – from what I have gathered, it only attacks mature adults. We cannot take the chance that it might harm returning ninjas," Hinata replied.

"But…" Hanabi felt reluctant to burn her father's body. It wasn't the proper –

"I don't care if it follows tradition or not. We need to survive and save whom we can, Hanabi. I saw some older Hyuugas – ask them for help. We burn them by tonight," Hinata's voice was laced with steel. Hanabi could only nod her head, even as her eyes darted towards her father's lifeless body.

"Go… gather them now and tell them my instructions," Hinata continued as she kneeled before her father. Hanabi left to spread her instructions and Hinata had more time to study her father's face for the last time.

"I'm sorry father for never being the daughter you wanted and I'm sorry for what I must do," Hinata whispered to her father. She finally got the nerve to begin carrying him outside. All of the elder children helped while one of the elder girls stayed inside the closed room and watched the other younger and helpless children. Two babies, twins, were also being watched.

They had piled them by the time the sun set. Some of the boys went to go collect logs from the back. They set all around the bodies. They began wiping away the blood from the floors. Finally, the younger children were allowed to come out to say the final goodbye. They threw oil at the logs.

They all looked at Hinata with wide eyes. Was this the pressure her father had felt as head when his head had been demanded for protecting her? Was this why he had been disappointed in her? Because he knew that her weak character would do horribly in such chaotic situations as this? Hinata tried to look strong, unknowing if she failed or succeeded in such an endeavor but she tried, if only to somehow for the benefits of her remaining family members.

"Today is a sad day and we do not yet understand the cause of it. However, know that I will do everything in my power to make sure that it does happen to our other family members or other villagers. I burn their bodies in hopes their disease and poison dies with them," she explained to them all, despite being mindless in her grief.

"Cry as much as you can and want today. Understand though that everything from now is different without our elders to guide us. You must be strong for those who are too young to understand. We must change our ways if we are to survive without our previous numbers and without experience in this world," her voice was dead and strong. The ones old enough to understand nodded with tears in their eyes.

Hanabi handed her a match. Hinata grabbed it and without hesitation, threw it on the dead bodies of her clansmen and clanswomen.

They watched it burn for a while before Hinata regained her voice. "Hanabi, you must stay here. Guide them back inside. I must go and find out what has happened to the rest of the village. I will return with others who need our help," Hanabi nodded as their new unofficial clan head left the vicinity.

Elsewhere, more and more bodies were being burned. The Nara clan with few children and no infants and a high level of elders burned the brightest. The Akimichi Clan grieved the loudest as all their elders and adults died with the highest number of infants. The Yamanaka Flower shop was destroyed in the chaos. All but ten children and teenagers remained from the Haruno's small clan. Even the older dogs and wolves of the Inuzuka clan were not spared. One could hear pups crying for their mother's milk. Chaos reigned supreme as neighboring villages heard and saw the fires lit from the Leaf.

Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha and Neji Hyuuga were away on missions as well as others.

Hinata came forward to help other regular citizens, offering them shelter at the larger compound. She collected twenty infants and fifteen teenagers and pre-teens. Hinata's eyes scanned Konoha, finding many people who needed her.

There were a number of misunderstandings, but eventually she was able to save many. Finally, she was at the door of Gai's apartment. A sense of dread filled her but her eyes scanned the apartment. There were two people in there, one with under developed chakra coils.

She could hear Lee faintly.

"Gai-sensei… please wake up! We need to t-train, Gai-sensei!" Lee's voice throbbed with emotion and tears. Hinata felt like choking, felt like leaving them alone but she had to knock on the door. She needed Lee, Konoha needed Lee. When Lee ignored her knocks, she kicked down the door.

"H-Hinata?" Lee's voice dripped with apprehension.

"Gai-sensei's not going to wake up, Lee. We need to burn his body. I'll give you more time if you need it but I need your help to save others, children who are too helpless as soon as possible," Hinata began. However Lee's eyes burn furiously at the thought of burning his sensei. His eyes glinted mechanically and dangerously.

The air thickened with fury and pain.

"NO! I won't do it!" Hinata had never before seen the boy so crazed and angry before. "You've always hated Gai-sensei! You did this! You poisoned him! I'll kill you!" he blamed her.

"No… I," Hinata tried to explain but the emotion-blind Lee came at her with a fury and craze that only Gaara of the Sand had ever accomplished. Hinata backed away but Lee was too quick. His fist flew at her and suddenly, something in Hinata snapped. She had no time to pity this pathetic _boy._ If he wouldn't help her save Konoha, he could go and die for all she cared. There were more important things to worry about.

She twisted around and sent chakra into his head, causing the enraged Lee into unconsciousness. Hinata decided to leave him there and she grabbed Gai-sensei's body. She dragged it to the street outside, where she had piled the bodies of other civilians. Hinata had brought oil and she threw on them before lighting them on fire.

However, there was more work. There were still so many people to save and bodies to burn, even after three more hours. Kiba and Shino had come forward to help, taking in other people since the Hyuuga compound had become too crowded. More teenagers came forward to help. They also helped her pile bodies in safe areas to make fires and burn them. She didn't see Lee again.

Finally, Hinata realized that Kurenai-sensei had a child.

Dashing to her teacher's house, she kicked down the door and ran to her teacher's room. Her eyes immediately found them. Her teacher was dead on the bed in a pool of blood-soaked sheets. Her child however remained very still next to her.

"No…" her voice whispered as she came forward. She touched the child, whose cold cheeks simply brought pain to her. Hinata immediately drew her hand back.

Maybe it was thirsty! Maybe it needed to be hydrated… desperate to save at least the child, Hinata ran to the kitchen. She made the formula and came back to the room. She stuffed the nipple of the bottle into the baby's mouth.

"Please," she begged the child to drink.

Nothing… the child remained still. She tried again and again. She tried breathing air into the baby's lips. She gave it more milk. She shook it, slapped it. Nothing… the infant gave no reaction. After trying everything for twenty-minutes, Hinata gave up.

For the first time that day, tears spilled from the new Hyuuga Clan Head's eyes. Yet immediately after, they hardened into ice chips. There was more work to be done. Hinata knew she couldn't simply dwell here like an idiot. It's what Kurenai-sensei would have wanted.

She carried her sensei to the street outside the apartment where new body piles were being made where she met the faces of Kiba and Shino. The new body pile was placed so that nothing else flammable could get burned. If it did, she knew how to take out the fire. She returned for the child and piled it gently above Kurenai-sensei. They all stared as Hinata lit their beloved sensei and her child on fire.

Thankfully, there was no wind tonight or maybe Konoha itself would have been lit with the majority of its citizens. Shino patted Hinata's back as tears streamed down her face. Her hands clenched. There were no words that could be spoken. Hinata returned to work even as the sun loomed in the distance.


	2. A New Hokage

_**The Orphans of Konoha**_

Chapter Two: A New Hokage

_Leadership requires more than unrealistic ideals of right and wrong_

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Shino felt the kikkai bugs within him stir in anger and confusion, perhaps influenced by his own deeply hidden anger. Many of the Aburame clan had died, having very little children and teenagers left. Along with dead hosts, many of their insects had also died. Shino had the largest number of hives inside and thus, named new Clan Head. His remaining clan members consisted of five other teenagers and one infant. He had told Mari that she was to take care of the child while he and the others went to go search for others in need of help.

After seeing the burned bodies from the Hyuuga Compound, he realized that he also had to burn the bodies of his beloved parents and clan elders. It had taken very long to collect their bodies and burn them. He wondered how Hinata, with her frail hands, had been able to burn her dead clan members so quickly. He wondered that until he saw her, that was.

Not even in her battle against Neji Hyuuga had she shown such resolve and fierceness. She worked and carried bodies three times her size without complaint and nary a sound. Something, Shino realized, had snapped inside her. He couldn't decide though if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It might seem good now… but in twenty years, would that snap have ruined and jaded his beautiful friend forever?

Before he knew it, others came forward to offer shelter to children and pre-teens. The other clans only began to burn bodies after the sight of the Hyuuga's large bonfire. It was quick thinking on the Hyuuga girl's part, Shino had to admit.

After the second day of piling bodies and burning them, only then was everyone burned, including the Hokage. Next came the part of disposing of their ashes. It took three days of that as they had to bury a large enough ditch in the Konoha forest and carry all of those ashes there.

Every child and teenager mourned and cried except for Hinata at the burial of their loved ones. After pouring the ashes away into the ditch and piling dirt back onto, everyone awaited her instructions. Unofficially, everyone knew who had taken charge and triumphed in the face of chaos. It seemed that the gentlest of them all could withstand the harshest of pains and overcome it with her head held high.

Hinata wanted to warn them of the dangers ahead. She had thought it through. Hinata had spoken with Chouji, Ino, Shino, Kiba and Tenten. The rest of their little group, Shikamaru, Neji, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were on their own missions. Lee was nowhere to be found, but was last spotted running laps around Konoha.

"Everyone has lost someone precious – a sister, a father, a friend. Mourn today, cry today but realize our vulnerable positions, my friends. We have no Hokage, our Clan leaders are dead and more importantly, our children and infants need us to protect them from any enemies who perceive our vulnerability. Now more than ever – " her voice clogged as an image of four people appeared above the hill.

"There they are!" Naruto's voice rang through what remained of the villagers.

"Lady Hinata," Neji's voice was clear.

"Now more than ever, we need to be strong and extremely careful if we are to survive. This is simply the beginning of the chaos. With our combined strength, we will survive this tragedy," she finished.

"Hey, where is everyone?" Naruto asked with a cheeky grin.

No one could look him in the eye. Silence enveloped the area completely. A sense of dread filled Sakura's eyes. Sasuke and Neji could not hide the confusion and curiosity from their face. Naruto's puppy-like eagerness clutched something in Hinata's heart, but she pushed it away. This was not the time to faint. There was more to life than love. She looked at the downcast heads of her family members and those of the villagers. Hinata would not force them to explain. She took the burden upon herself to distract them and inform these newcomers.

"Everyone please return to your headquarters and prepare for dinner. I am sure everyone is tired. Make sure all of the infants are fed and burped. Shino, Kiba, Shin and Lan, please see to it that everyone arrives safely back to the village and to their headquarters," her voice rang out. Immediately, everyone left except for the newcomers.

"Let us speak. There is much to discuss," Hinata's voice was clear. They stared at her as if they didn't know who she was.

"What h-has happened?" Sakura's voice rang with fear and dread.

"From what I have gathered, some sort of epidemic has attacked all of Konoha several days ago. Anyone over the age of 20 has died, including our senseis and Hokage. Only people age nineteen and under have survived. It is a disease possibly that all of our adults and elders have suffered from. I do not know why or how. We have just buried them, just as you have arrived," Hinata's voice was cold and matter of fact like. Her hands twitched however, though no one but Neji spotted it.

"W-what do you mean, Hinata? Everyone can't be dead! Is this a j-joke? You're just joking with us, right?" Naruto laughed nervously.

Hinata stared at the boy she had loved her entire life. He was warmth and confidence personified. Yet there were things Naruto could not handle – things such as separation from those he deemed precious. Why else would he go to such lengths to return Sasuke? At the cost of his own life? Yet would such a feature, something she had once admired in him, bring further chaos to Konoha? Would he endanger others? She wouldn't allow it. Hinata couldn't do that to what and who remained of Konoha.

"Father… my m-mother too?" Sakura choked on the words. Hinata nodded her head curtly. She did not have time for this. Everyone had suffered, everyone had lost someone important. If they could not think about helping those who remained, those who were so helpless in their youth, then Hinata did not need them. Deciding to test them, trying to see if they would go crazy and lose it like Lee, she continued her explanation.

From what she had gathered, the most sunny-natured people cracked. Yet they would recover much sooner than those like herself or Shino who hid their emotions. It was simply a matter of time. Hinata hoped and prayed that she was right.

"We burned their bodies to prevent the disease from spreading and buried their ashes here, a distance deemed safe enough to not get into our water supplies or near the vegetation that we harvest food from. We have done all we can to clean the village. I and many others have taken in children, infants, and other teenagers while the village is cleaned up. It also allows us to help each other easier," she began.

"This isn't real! You're lying!" Naruto came forward to shake her in rage. "You're just a liar!"

Her heart felt like it was breaking in half, even as her face hardened. He was touching her, close to her and she felt like suffocating. Yet she could not faint, she could not falter in such a fragile time. Her precious Naruto was breaking, just like Lee and yet she had to do what she had to do for the greater good of Konoha. Konoha needed her.

"Tell her, Neji! Do your Byakugan thing on her!" Naruto sobbed harder, shaking her. Tears rolled down his precious face, drowning her heart into further sorrow. She looked over at the others to gauge their reactions.

Neji stared off into space, as if in a daze. Sasuke looked at the floor and Sakura hyperventilated, muttering all the names of those she loved.

"Tsunade-sensei…. Father… Mother… Iruka-sensei…" Sakura chanted to herself, as if doing so would bring them back.

"Stop lying, Hinata. Tell m-me it's not true," he sobbed, shaking her more.

Hinata raised her hand and slapped him. Tears came to her eyes as she studied his stunned expression.

"I don't have time for this. I must go and pen a letter to Suna. If you wish to come and help those who need you, come. If not, do whatever you wish!" she choked out even as her hand burned, even though her insides were turning inside out. Never this – she never thought she would have to treat Naruto so cruelly. Hinata turned around and began to walk back to the village.

"How could you do this? To the Hokage? To your father? To Kurenai-sensei! They deserve to be more than burnt ashes buried in the middle of nowhere! This is wrong on so many levels!" Naruto yelled from behind her.

Heart heavy, Hinata took in a deep breath. Her fingers twitched and her chin trembled. His words hurt more than he knew. Any chance at love between them had shattered completely, Hinata knew. Yet she also knew that she really didn't have time for this. There were more important things to do, things that needed to be done. However, since he had done so much for her, since she loved him, Hinata would spare him time to answer him. She loved him enough to give him her answers, even if he didn't respect her enough to answer her confession so many months ago. Hinata was better than that.

"You said you would be Hokage one day, Naruto. However, should I make those children suffer in making beautiful tombstones simply to satisfy your ideal vision of right and wrong? Should I bury them properly and watch as their disease spread? I don't even know what it is or when it'll attack again or if children are truly immune to it. It's obvious you can protect the village from foreign invaders with physical strength yet it is your _stupidity,_ your _stubbornness_ to sticking to what you consider right and wrong that will kill this village from the inside out," she turned to spit at him. "Some people don't have the _luxury_ of choosing what's honorable when dozens, hundreds of lives are at stake. That is why you have not mastered Hokage."

With those parting words, she left the vicinity. She could not bear to see his pained expression. Hinata could not bear to watch what little chance she had with Naruto wither away _completely._

When she returned to the compound, Hinata made sure they all began to eat dinner and that the infants were fed with whatever formula they could gather. She then went to other compounds and residents to see if they had begun eating and the status of their infants. After that, everyone began to prepare for bed. When night fell and all the children were asleep, she called a representative of each main compound for the planned meeting.

Shino from the Aburame compound, Kiba from the Inuzuka, Ino from the Yamanaka, Shin from the Nara and Lan from the Morino came forward with Naruto, Sasuke, Neji and Sakura in tow.

Kiba first began.

"From the Inuzuka clan itself, we have five infants and toddlers and ten remaining pups. We have five other teenagers and two pre-teens. Local citizens in the compound include one infant and two toddlers, eight pre-teens and eleven teens," Kiba reported his numbers to which Hinata wrote down. They were all sitting in the Hokage's room though no one sat in the chair where Tsunade had died.

Hinata then looked at Shino, who also reported his numbers. Next more numbers spilled. In total, there were thirty-three infants and toddlers, fifty-two pre-teens and a total of eighty-one teens. Doing another rations report, Hinata estimated that they would survive three more months with food. Doing another report of all the money they had found in the village and how they would spend, they would survive another three months.

"For the thirty-tree infants and toddlers, we need at least fifteen teens to watch them. From the fifty-two pre-teens, another thirty will help watch. That means with sixty-six teens, we will need at least twenty to patrol the city. Another twenty must farm what land we have to help with the rations until we make enough money to keep importing food. The remaining twenty-six, mainly graduated shinobi, must work as ninjas. It's our main source of income and what we need if we are to survive," Hinata concluded.

"Aside from that, we need Shikamaru to return. The Nara are skilled in medicine. Sakura – I need you and Shikamaru to learn the reasons for what has happened. I saved a body and have quarantined it just for you two. It is one of the younger ones so that there would less interference with other age-diseases," Hinata continued as she looked at the confused and out of it Sakura.

"Sakura… do you understand?" Hinata asked softly.

Snapping out of it, Sakura quickly nodded even though Hinata could read that she really wasn't out of emotional stupor.

"I sent a bird to Suna with my message during dinner. Hopefully Shikamaru returns quickly," Hinata sighed. Everyone only nodded, too tired and emotionally drained to care anymore. Everything Hinata was doing was reasonable. No one wanted to argue.

"Okay, everyone dismi - " Hinata was cut off.

"We need a Hokage," Ino interrupted her.

Hinata and everyone else blinked.

"Without a Hokage, everyone will look down on our village even more. If we name a new Hokage, they will tread more lightly," Ino explained.

"I agree," Kiba replied. Murmurs of agreement traveled around the room.

"The question is who?" Hinata touched her chin. "The Hokage is usually the strongest fighter we have. Neji is our highest ranking shinobi."

"But Naruto defeated Neji," Sakura interjected.

"That was years ago at the Chuunin Exam," Shino replied. "They have both grown in strength. We do not know the outcome now."

"Sasuke is also extremely strong and feared throughout the ninja world. People will less likely attack the village if they know that Sasuke Uchiha is our Hokage," Ino pointed out.

Arguments of who broke out. Who was stronger? Who was more feared? Who defeated who? When did it occur? Did it matter?

"It's not about physical strength or skill!" Naruto, who had remained silent until then, yelled.

Everyone, including a silent Hinata, stared wide-eyed at the loud blonde. For all his life, he had wanted to be Hokage. What was he saying? Why was he saying this? There was a harder look to his usually happy blue eyes and a twist of seriousness to his usually grinning lips.

He breathed in deeply and then began.

"Strength has gotten us nowhere. Tsunade was strong and yet she is dead. It is about the ability to tackle challenges and decide for the greater good, to make the best decision despite what others say. There might be two correct decisions but being able to decide which is better is the asset we need at this moment. We need a person who cares about the greater good of Konoha above all else, above even love for a friend or family member. We need Hinata to be Hokage," Naruto's eyes blazed with emotion as he stared deep into her white pale eyes.

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**Author's Note:**This Lan Morino is also the daughter of Ibiki Morino but hasn't yet befriended Hinata or the others– I just needed another teenager really. Thanks and hope you guys review.


	3. An Inspired Genius of Hard Work Matures

_**The Orphans of Konoha**_

Chapter Three: An Inspired Genius of Hard Work Matures

_Those of exaggerated natures can quickly erupt, as quickly as they can forgive and change for the better_

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"Strength has gotten us nowhere. Tsunade was strong and yet she is dead. It is about the ability to tackle challenges and decide for the greater good, to make the best decision despite what others say. There might be two correct decisions but being able to decide which is better is the asset we need at this moment. We need a person who cares about the greater good of Konoha above all else, above even love for a friend or family member. We need Hinata to be Hokage," Naruto's eyes blazed with emotion as he stared deep into her white pale eyes.

"N-Naruto, what are you saying? You've wanted to be Hokage for as long as anyone can remember!" Sakura replied, staring at the other blonde as if he had lost his marbles.

"Lady Hinata cannot protect the village should we ever be under attack," Neji voiced his opinion.

"I agree. Hinata is too weak to protect the village," Sakura nodded her head as if it were an obvious fact.

Suddenly, all of previous insecurities before this tragedy surfaced. Her head downcast, she tried to self-soothe by playing with her hands. Hinata knew she was not fit to be Hokage, yet she had hoped that her newfound strength would somehow affect her friends as much as it had on her. She had not expected the title of Hokage, so much as recognition of strength. Yet such strength in her would never be recognized, Hinata felt, despite her leadership these past few days.

"The previous and traditional role of Hokage should be destroyed," Naruto's voice was harsh, as hard as the glint of his eyes.

"But the Hokage has al-" Sakura began but was cut off with Naruto's look.

"Do you really believe that we can find someone with Hinata's leadership skill as well as a level of physical skill and strength befitting a traditional Hokage in what remains of Konoha? Even I'm not that stupid!" he yelled out at Sakura.

Everyone blinked at his outburst, which were becoming stranger and stranger. It was well-known he was in love with Sakura. When had he ever shown such anger and disgust at his beloved teammate? Yet he made sense. His tone and facial expression only led to one conclusion of his mental state.

He _was _angry. Hinata blinked again in surprise. The question was why? Was he angry about her previous and somewhat rude statements at the burial? That didn't make sense or collide with his statements – he should instead be downplaying her strengths, not pushing her to be Hokage. Why was he so angry?

"I'm pissed off that you guys think Hinata is weak. The toughness she's displayed has astounded me beyond words yet you all willingly mock her in front of me, in front of _her?_ When she's done nothing but protect this village from further chaos? To protect means more than just saving lives – Hinata has protected the sanity and order of this village, being more than capable than you or Neji and all of us here, when all we could do was fall into emotional turmoil!" he spat out at them.

Both of them looked away in shame. Sasuke's eyes glinted with recognition in the background while Kiba and (maybe) Shino grinned. Ino seemed flabbergasted but unwilling to argue with Naruto's newfound logic.

"The traditional role has always been with the strongest shinobi in our village. Yet the strongest does not signify leadership or even intellect for that matter. We should divide the roles of Hokage instead. Hinata is the only one out of the entire village that remains that took matters into her hands and she has succeeded where all of us have failed. Hinata did not let petty emotion obscure her view, such as us all. She should be Hokage, a new kind of Hokage that relies more on leadership and intellect rather than brute strength. It is our job, all of ours, instead to protect her and the village physically," Naruto finished as he stared at them all to contradict him.

"I agree with Naruto. Leadership requires intellect and more than that, Hinata has displayed a willingness to throw away her love for Naruto for the greater good of Konoha. We need Hinata to be Hokage," Sasuke voiced his amusement. For the first time in a long time, Hinata's face flamed in embarrassment at the mention of her affection for the blonde. D-did everyone know? Glancing at the blonde mentioned, Hinata realized she wasn't the only one blushing.

"Oi! You're so annoying, you bastard!" he yelled at his best friend with blushing cheeks.

"You guys weren't here during the chaos that erupted yet everyone took their cues from Hinata. I've never seen such fierceness and I agree with Naruto. The traditional roles should be abolished, now that adults aren't here to hold onto them. We should make a new Konoha, one that surpasses the previous one," Lan grinned at them all.

Murmurs of agreement circulated the room and then suddenly, all of their eyes landed on the silent Hinata.

"Well, are you going to accept this role, Hinata?" Naruto asked her with a huge grin that sent her heart pounding.

"I… think we s-should ask the rest of the villagers first. I don't want to be i-inconsiderate," her stutter returned and her face flamed.

"Idiot! Don't smile at her like that or she'll pass out!" Sakura knocked Naruto on the back of the head, in which he replied with an "ouch!"

"If that's what you want, I'm sure most or all will agree," Ino shrugged. "However, I believe a main guard should be assigned to you since you're our new Hokage and all." More murmurs of agreement flew through the room, despite Hinata's protest.

"I believe I am most fit to watch Lady Hinata," Neji stated.

"Eh… I don't know about that," Lan interjected as everyone turned to stare at Naruto's downcast face. He then raised his head and smiled at everyone.

"Since I can't be Hokage, I'd still protect the village by protecting the actual Hokage! I am more than willing to accept this role!" he laughed out loud. More murmurs of agreement, excluding Neji's scowl and Hinata's quiet protests, flew through the room. With her head downcast, Hinata sighed in defeat and the matter was decided.

"I almost forgot! Now onto other matters, I need more people to patrol our borders. I sent Tenten and several others to go patrol the borders of our city. But they've held onto such a role for a long time now, since the beginning of the chaos. I want to switch them with all of you instead," Hinata began.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Also, according to Tenten, Lee has been running around Konoha and yelling out Gai-sensei's name over and over. However, he has been mentally and emotionally unstable and we don't know what he intends to do. If he seems stable, which I hope he is, welcome him back. I doubt he is a danger to anyone but himself," Hinata informed them.

"Bushy-brows went crazy? I guess it isn't impossible if Gai-sensei's gone," Naruto shrugged. "Dismissed! Head out for patrol!" he yelled out as if he _were_ Hokage. Everyone grunted at being dismissed so callously by Naruto before heading out of the Hokage's Tower.

Only Naruto and Hinata remained behind.

"Umm… aren't you supposed t-to patrol with them?" Hinata stared at Naruto strangely.

"Eh? Didn't you hear? I'm your full-time main guard! I go wherever you go, Hokage-sama!" he grinned at her.

"Umm… I'm not Hokage yet. N-not until everyone in the village agrees," Hinata stuttered as her heart began to stupidly race. This was stupid! She had other things to do! Children to attend! Infants to feed and keep an eye on!

"Don't be silly, Hinata. I'm 100% sure everyone will agree," he replied. "But besides that, I sort of wanted to talk to you about something serious," his face became cold-stone hard.

Hinata immediately straightened. What was so serious he had to seek her out alone?

"Speak," she commanded in a soft and steel-like tone. His information might be very important to their survival if his tone and stance were any indication.

His blue eyes, glinted like ice, stared at her. Hinata felt like she was being scrutinized to the depths of her soul yet she held her ground. If Naruto was this serious about it, Hinata had to be as well. This was not time for silly and girlish fancies.

"What am I going to eat for the next several months?" he asked her.

"W-what?" Hinata was confused. This was the _serious_ matter he had to discuss with her?

"I'm just saying… is there any more ramen?" his eyes lit up like a child's. Hinata stared at his puppy-like eyes, heard the seriousness of his voice and remembered the older days when she would have died to have simply see him like this. Suddenly a giggle erupted from her lips and then another and more at how cute he was. Despite her duties, despite the seriousness of their situation, he could make her heart pound and laughter erupt from her lips.

When she stopped laughing, Hinata stared at Naruto to catch his awed expression.

"Oh, I'm s-sorry at laughing at t-this very important situation," Hinata tried to keep serious but couldn't help a twist of her lips.

"No! Laugh more! I mean, it's not that! I've just… never seen you laugh before. It just caught me off guard," he scratched the back of his head, something he only did in nervousness and refused to meet her eyes straight on as he usually did. Hinata felt confused and looked at his downcast face to realize that he was blushing. Why would he be blushing?

"Well we s-should probably h-head back," she stuttered with a blush. Great, now she was blushing as well. She turned to leave but then Naruto caught the top of her arm before she could go.

"Wait… I mean, I did have more to say," he replied.

"Huh?" Hinata turned her head to stare at him. Naruto smiled gently in a way she had never before seen. Hinata made a note to capture that smile forever.

"I just wanted to say thank you, you know. Thanks for helping me out of my emotional turmoil. It's not to say that I'm still not hurt, but I realized that letting my emotions hold me back wasn't going to help anyone else or myself for that matter. That slap was something! You've inspired me to understand what true leadership and sacrifice is, Hinata! For that, I owe you!" his words seemed sincere and rather mature. Naruto had gotten over her previous confrontation with him and changed for the better, quicker than even Hinata had thought possible.

His eyes seemed to be tearing up and with the combination of his words it clenched her chest and squeezed it until Hinata felt like her lungs were going to combust.

"Y-you're welcome, I g-guess," Hinata stuttered, unused to such praise with a downcast flaming face. She could hardly look at him anymore; the embarrassment she felt had strengthened to such a degree. Coming from Naruto, it made her feel even more ashamed.

"Not only that, but I realized something when you slapped me. A good leader must realize when there is a stronger and better leader for his people. I've given up my dream of being Hokage in hopes that you will surpass what I could have done," his words were final and in it, Hinata could see all the hopes and expectations he had placed in her. Instead of feeling burdened by it, Hinata instead felt highly complimented. Such compliments made her heart dizzy, even as she kept a somewhat straight face.

Unable to keep her face straight for long, Hinata turned her head and motioned her head. "I need to check on the kids. Let's go then."

With an "Okay!" the two left the Hokage's Tower.

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**Author's Note:** Wow! I'm totally on a roll! Please keep reviewing! Makes me want to write faster! I totally want Naruto to be more mature, still with hints of childishness, but giving up his dream of Hokage shows high maturity on his part because it's not about him or Hinata but about the greater good of Konoha and that is the defining mark of a true leader. Him being Hokage in a time like this will only really bring further chaos since he lacks a lot of fine detail skills that I believe Hinata possesses. Thanks and please continue reading as I reveal further changes to other characters who suffered this shock while other characters, such as Neji and Tenten, will have slower changes due to their personalities.


	4. Chaos Thickens

_**The Orphans of Konoha**_

Chapter Four: Chaos Thickens

_When something bad happens, it can only get worst_

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Shikamaru felt like someone was kicking him very hard. Well, actually someone was kicking him. Fortunately, he couldn't sense any killing intent from the blonde-haired girl. Only Temari would venture into a boy's room without shame or embarrassment. The girl's hide was thicker than the hide of a cow. Temari's affection could be defined in a simple phrase: harsh but well-intentioned.

"Get up, lazy ass," Temari's voice rang out through the guest room. Shikamaru was lying in his room on his bed in only his blue boxers.

Opening one eye and then both dark eyes, Shikamaru stared at the blonde girl with a droll expression that further incensed the already enraged girl. God, Temari was hot. Even through his eye bugger, she made his hormones go all out whack.

In hindsight, Shikamaru should have known better. Temari simply kicked him harder with her right foot.

The kick would for 100% leave a bruise, if not a broken rib or two. Yet it was a loving bruise that Shikamaru would forever treasure – she kicked him again – or not.

"Okay, sheesh you Amazon," he sat up with a bared chest. Temari tried not to stare.

"Come on, it's important. There's a message from Konoha that Gaara said you might really want to see," Temari's serious tone sent shivers down the usually composed and lazy ninja.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Shikamaru grumbled as he stood up. He realized his mistake soon enough. Shikamaru had almost forgotten he had only slept in his boxers. Being in a desert in the summer in no way meant freezing nights. Temari eyed him up and down slowly, raking her eyes in a manner that sent heat to his cheeks that had nothing to with Suna's heated morning.

"You might want to put on something more appropriate," Temari smiled at him mischievously before laughing and leaving his room.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru grunted. He could hear more laughter from the hallways of the hotel.

After putting on "something more appropriate", he left his room and went to the bathroom to wash up. After washing up, he went to Kazekage's Tower to meet with Gaara. The dark haired secretary immediately let him in, recognizing him by face.

Shikamaru entered the Kazekage's office, sighting the red-headed Kazekage behind his desk. Temari sat to the side on the couch with the same wicked glint in her eyes, yet it seemed rather forced. Pale green-blue eyes darted towards Shikamaru's face, which never failed to send a shiver of fear down Shikamaru's spine.

"Shikamaru," the red-head greeted him informally. Considering that they had known each other for so long and that he was dating Temari, Shikamaru didn't know if he could take the informality as a good thing or bad thing. One could never tell with the mysterious and focused Kazekage.

"Lord Kazekage," Shikamaru returned the greeting. "What's this all about?"

"I received a letter, penned by Hinata Hyuuga just this morning. The bird died in exhaustion getting here," Gaara's voice tinted with sadistic amusement at the hurry of the bird. Hinata must have placed a special seal or jutsu on the bird for it to exhaust itself like that. Only high messenger bird trainers knew jutsus like that. Hinata rose higher in his estimation at the array of skills she possessed.

However, the gentle natured girl would have hardly used such a jutsu unless the situation called for it. Shikamaru found the situation… not funny.

"What are the contents of the letter?" Shikamaru raised his brow at the Kazekage, trying not to sound eager and nervous. However the red-haired man would probably detect it. Gaara's skills of observation equaled, if not defeated, Neji's own skills.

"Konoha's citizens, particularly those over the age of twenty, have all died, including your Hokage," Gaara's deep voice, for once, held a touch of pity.

"W-what! How?" Shikamaru's shocked voice rang throughout the building. Temari started at the sound of his voice, having never heard the lazy ass get so worked up about _anything_. Then again, a lot of people had died. More than likely, his parents and loved ones had died as well.

"Please explain, Kazekage," his voice tinted with panic and worry and a desire to keep in control of himself.

"Hinata Hyuuga is unsure of the cause of death– they suspect it to be poison or some sort of new disease. They are doing research on a dead quarantined body as we speak. Konoha request your immediate return to assist Haruno in her research," Gaara's voice returned to its normal monotone.

"Yes, that would be b-best," Shikamaru felt his hands shake. W-was his father… his m-mother dead? W-what… Shikamaru mentally shook his head; he didn't have time to twiddle twaddle. Konoha needed him in control and calm.

"Only children and teenagers remain in Konoha. I will send a large fleet of shinobi, including a team of medics all under the age of twenty to help in any way they can, under your direct command, Shikamaru. I am unsure if Konoha has chosen a new leader or not, but I recognize that you will soon find out. I understand that you might need shelter – I offer Suna as shelter if needed. You only need send word," Gaara replied.

Shikamaru felt like stumbling on his own feet, but could only nod in response. "My thanks, Lord Kazekage. We are in your debt. We must leave by 3'o clock. Please assemble your fleet of shinobi by then and have them meet me at the front gates." The dark haired man turned around and left the room in a hurry that left the others bewildered. That was the fastest they had ever seen the lazy boy move.

"You should be delicate in how you handle him from now on. He seems like he's going to break. I've never seen the Nara so nervous and eager to go back home," Gaara advised his sister, who was still sitting on the couch with her legs crossed. Her stern expression had softened after the Nara closed the door, as it often did. However, Gaara noted that it had a touch of sorrow he had never before seen on his otherwise tough sister.

"I know… I just don't know if I can," Temari replied and stood up. "Well, I guess I should go and assemble that fleet. How many can we give up?"

"I say at most twenty. We have no idea how much people they need. I leave the decision up to you who you want to bring," Gaara shrugged.

"Thank you, Gaara," Temari smiled softly at her brother.

"Leave. There's no time to waste," her brother ordered and immediately went back to his paper work. Temari left the room and immediately went to go assemble shinobi to help Konoha.

They left at 3'o clock sharp.

It would take them three more days to reach Konoha. Back at Konoha, things were going fairly well... as well as it could during times of widespread unknown diseases. Sakura began her research on the quarantined body in a body. Hinata had established order and closed off the borders of Konoha for various reasons. She also prepared body suits for the Suna ninja that were about to help Konoha. Hinata couldn't afford to kill any more ninjas, especially those that were not her own. She also couldn't afford to send children and infant away to distant families, in fear that the disease would spread to other neighboring villages and towns until Sakura deemed everyone safe.

Sakura herself seemed to need the workload as she continued her research on the body. Sakura worked with a restlessness and focus unseen before as she coped with the death of all she held dear.

On the night of the second day, she reported her findings to the new and officially established Hokage.

"Lady Hokage, I am unable to find the cause of death on the body. He suffered from internal and external bleeding but beyond that, there is nothing else wrong with him that I can find," Sakura informed Hinata. "I have checked through everything I can, gone through medical books… there is nothing further that I can do. I need more bodies to see if there is a connection between them all," she continued her report.

"There are no more bodies…they have all been burned," Hinata sighed.

"I need it if I am to - " Sakura was cut off.

"That's fine, Sakura. Thank you. Please… I will try to find another solution," Hinata interrupted her. There was no use talking it out when there were no more bodies to research. Hinata's eyes glinted with emotion for a slight second before it blanked into emptiness.

"Thank you again. Rest for tonight. Tomorrow at sunrise, I want you to help the newly opened the nursery at the hospital. Some of the teenagers are unsure of how to take care of infants. I need to make we don't lose any child. That is all. Dismissed," Hinata stared off into space with her chin on raised hands. The image of Kurenai's dead child popped in her mind. She pushed away the image and her guilt.

"Lady Hokage," Sakura's eyes glazed over in tiredness instead of guilt like Hinata's. The pink-haired girl nodded her head and promptly left the room. Hinata sighed as she stared at the paperwork Tsunade had left behind – some were too blood-soaked to read. Hinata tried not to think about the blood too much.

She hadn't realized when she named shinobi to continue their line of work that she might spread the disease. Hinata knew she needed to quarantine the remaining Konoha citizens until they found out more about this disease. Spreading the disease would only mean more death… Hinata didn't know if she could handle more of that and worst, be blamed for it. For now, instead more shinobi were sent to other divisions: farming, cleaning the blood and burnt properties, patrolling and taking care of the children.

None had protested her new title and the changes made to the role of Hokage. She had also abolished the Main and Branch roles of the Hyuuga Clan as she had once promised Neji so many months ago. Only four teenagers had the original seal on their foreheads, but no more seals would be placed and Hinata vowed to that she would never use it.

She also named Neji as the Clan Head as his father had always wanted. Hinata knew that she could not, in good faith, deal with the duties of both the Hyuuga Clan and Hokage.

Sighing, she leaned her head on the table.

"Lady Hokage, if you need to rest, you should rest," Neji's voice carried throughout the room.

Hinata immediately sat up. She did not want to appear tired. Hinata basically had to beat Naruto out of the room after he had followed her everywhere. Hinata had put him on patrol with Sasuke, whose strict orders were to keep Naruto away from Hinata.

Hinata knew that she still had enough adrenaline to go on. The last several days were nothing compared to the pain and endurance training her father had put her through as a child in order to toughen her up.

"Is there anything you wish to speak of?" she asked him as she righted herself.

"Yes. I wish to ask that you rest. You've gone without sleep the last three days, running all around the village and doing an inordinate amount of paperwork left by the previous Hokage. We need our Hokage to be healthy at all – "

Suddenly, Hinata coughed into her hands.

Her eyes felt glazed. The room began to spin back and forth, everything but the sight of her pale hands. The lines of reality twirled all around Hinata. Somebody was yelling something. A tiny small scream of pain rang through her ears and yet it felt like Hinata could hear nothing. Her eyes had to be joking. This must be some trick. Blood stained her white pale hands. All she could see was white and red. Suddenly, a sharp needle-stabbing pain attacked her chest. Something horrible-tasting, something that sent dread and fear of the unknown came spilling from her lips.

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**Author's Note:** Please review :D I'm totally on a roll though! I hope you didn't expect that, by the way! MUAHAHAHA!


	5. Death Around the Corner

_**The Orphans of Konoha**_

Chapter Five: Death Around the Corner

_Take what comforts you can – it might be your last_

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Neji was always in control of his situation and more importantly, himself. So when he found Hanabi in her room crying, hugging her father's white robes, Neji found himself at a loss of words. Hinata was better suited to such a role of comforting those in pain; awkward Neji knew nothing of what little girls needed and even if did, he didn't know if would ever stoop to such a level.

When Tenten had started crying, Neji did not know what to do either except awkwardly pat her back. She responded by throwing herself into his arms. When he encountered a somewhat emotion-crazed Lee on the usual hike, he also didn't know what to do except tell him to get it together, yell something about Gai-sensei and knock him out.

When Hinata began to cough blood and scream as if her insides were on fire, he simply stood stupidly at the entrance. Neji felt frozen by something he had never before experienced: blind-fear for himself and his cousin. People began immediately coming in to see the problem, one of them being Naruto. Screams of frustration and fear echoed through the hospital, yet Neji could only feel the silence and motionless of his identity being ripped apart.

The blonde immediately began to piggy back her, even as she continued throwing up the contents of her food and even more blood onto his back. How Naruto found the courage to not care at the soil and smell, Neji did not know.

He didn't know how long he stood there either but when he came back to consciousness, Neji realized that he was the only one remaining in the dimly-lit room.

What was with him?

His white orbs stared at his callused hands. Some of Lady Hinata's blood had splattered onto them. He wiped his face – a blot of blood had also splattered onto his face and the lids of his eyes.

"Am I so useless? How can I-I call myself a m-man?" he whispered to no one but himself.

In another part of the village, a green-beast sat in front of the burial ground with his head bowed to the floor. All around, nature chirped with life. The feel of the dark dripped with beauty. The grass swayed gently to the wind. The tall trees stood in attendance at a broken and lost boy.

"Forgive me, Gai-sensei! I could not run 1000 laps around Konoha after failing to do 500 pushups!" tears fell from his eyes and onto his forehead. "Please, Gai-sensei. I need you! I need you for guidance. I feel so lost! What am I to do? I tried to hurt the gentle Lady Hinata! I yelled horrible things at our precious flower, Tenten!" he cried his eyes out even more as he dug his head deeper into the ground.

"The power of my youth and passion has disappeared. How can I continue to blossom without the rays of your love and affection, sensei! Please… help me," Lee's voice eventually merged into inaudible cries of agony.

His inaudible cries carried over and disappeared into Tenten's room where the brunette stared at the array of weapons. Hundreds of them piled around her. Tenten felt that it made her closer to her father, who had always carried with him the smell of fire and metal. Her father had created every weapon for her, raising her single-handedly.

Where was he now?

Burned alive and buried with hundreds other… because they did not know what afflicted the village. Nothing seemed to matter anymore without her father. Yet Tenten could not bring herself to be so selfish. She had spent the entire day in the nursery, where infants who knew no better, cried and laughed in the most naturals of ways.

How wonderful is the state of bliss?

Where was her mother?

Gone… she was nowhere important. How Tenten wished she could hug her mother yet she had left her father and Tenten for a better life. Tenten's mother could offer her nothing but further pain.

Suddenly Tenten realized that Neji was standing in front of her. When had he arrived? His hard face was clenched in fear, anger and… tears were streaming down his face mixed with smeared blood. Tenten felt her heart skip a beat in fear of what he was about to say. Why w-was he crying? Where h-had the blood come from? The news he had to part could in no way be good.

Before she could question him, the tall boy pulled her up and with his large hands grabbed her forward to press his lips to her.

At first, she tried pushing him away to no avail. His hands then coiled around her waist. Chest to chest, Neji's unusual body heat enveloped hers. Tenten could feel his moisture entering her own with a taste of metallic blood. Instead of disgust, Tenten simply wanted more. She needed this – apparently Neji needed it too. It didn't matter – Tenten felt, knew that they were all going to die anyhow. Why not live for the moment?

As a shinobi, the brunette had given up everything to excel in her craft. Tenten knew no other life besides training and applying what she had learned. For once, she wanted to be a girl – something had never before allowed. The strictures she had previously placed on herself disappeared.

Neji pushed her against the wall as his lips pressed against her neck. She willingly opened her legs to allow him to press his length against hers. Together, they found what comfort they could in each other's arms in horror of the future and love for the present.

Elsewhere, a blonde-haired boy took a shower in the safety of his apartment – shivering and scrubbing the blood and vomit off of him. Sakura had to punch him a few times before he left broke Hinata's side.

He had known it, felt it in his bones that something bad was going to happen to Hinata. His demon had been acting restless inside him ever since his return, even more so this morning as it neared Hinata. So he had left a few clones with Hinata, hidden just in case after being ushered out of the Hokage's office.

Yet when his clone had seen the blood spill from her lips, the scream at the sight of blood on her pale hands, it had reeled its head back in disgust and fear. The fear it had felt for Hinata and of Hinata was so strong, it popped and disappeared. Naruto immediately left a confused Sasuke as he ran to the Hokage's office in record time.

With tears, Naruto came rushing in to piggyback her to the hospital. Surely, Sakura would save her. She had to – Naruto didn't know if he could handle further death.

Grandma Tsunade… Shizune… Kakashi-sensei…even Iruka-sensei were all dead. He had been away on a mission but still, he might have been able to save them. Naruto banged the tiles of his white shower stall. Naruto felt that he could have saved more of them. Instead, he had taken his sweet time arguing with Sasuke during the way home. And what was worst? When he came back home, he felt like he was on cloud nine. Naruto had brought back the person he had been searching for all these years and with Sasuke at his side _still_ after all these months, he felt like he was complete. His precious people were _safe._

Yet those words had left Hinata's sweet lips and immediately, his entire world began to shatter _again._ Naruto had blown up at Hinata, despite knowing her feelings for him, despite knowing the sacrifice she had sweetly given him. The intense desperation and dependency on his connections to others made him feel pathetic.

Was being alone so bad?

After all that training, all his hard work, Naruto felt like he had gotten nowhere. What did strength matter when one was incapable? Like a child? Hinata had shown him a lot of things in several sentences and yet Naruto felt as if he had not fully grasped the situation. Where had Hinata gained such strength, to cut off ties and anything else for the greater good of others? Where had such selflessness come from?

Naruto leaned his head against the tile as tears disappeared into the steam and full-on blast shower water. He hoped that Hinata survived. He hoped that his actions today had saved at least one person. A sob erupted from his lips and faded into the sound of the shower.

In another place, a little girl with dark hair and pale eyes stared at the full moon. Her father had adored, as much as any stern man could, watching the moon… especially with Hanabi.

"You're just like me, Hanabi," he said proudly.

"And what of Hinata?" Hanabi prodded her father curiously. Her father got a twisted look on his face as he continued to stare at the moon before answering.

"Hinata… is like your mother. She ran away after your birth because she was weak and timid, just like Hinata," he replied.

How funny is it then that Hinata is now the rock and foundation of the last remaining survivors of Konoha while Hanabi had ran away into the safety of her room like a timid child? Hanabi felt like laughing and crying and killing someone all at the same time. Instead, she hugged her father's robe tighter to her. Her father was wrong… so very wrong and it hurt Hanabi so much to realize just how weak she truly was. She had praised all her life for her strength. Where was that strength now, father! How had she ever thought it was possible that she could one day become Clan Head?

Hanabi heard something and snapped her head up.

"H-hello?" she called out in a stutter. She had stuttering a lot lately. Hanabi had been surprised to realize just how alike she sounded to the previous Hinata.

Suddenly something flew, shiny and sharp, at the little girl who was so grief-stricken that all she could was watch and wait for her imminent doom. Hanabi screamed as loud as she could yet she knew that this would be the end.

Hinata popped opened her eyes. She swore she had heard Hanabi screaming just now.

"Good, you're awake. You just got out of the critical state two hours ago," Sakura stated.

"Why did I-I? Why am I alive?" Hinata choked as she tried to sit up. Hinata couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. Her body felt like it was under unbearable stress. She coughed up more blood and mucus.

"Hey! Watch it!" Sakura forced her back down onto the bed. Hinata, for the first time, glared at the pink-haired girl. Sakura's surprised face then absolved into harden indifference.

"You're Hokage right now. You just got out of critical condition. You have to take it easy," Sakura commanded.

Suddenly Hinata and Sakura heard a crash in the distance. Shouts and screams surrounded them. Hinata tried to activate her Byakugan. An immediate stab to her eyes forced her to stop.

"Sakura… what's going on? What is that ruckus? Please, go immediately," Hinata ordered unofficially as she clutched her eyes.

"Of course, Hokage. You need to rest. I will go find out what's happening and report to you immediately," Sakura replied as she jumped out the hospital window.

Hinata opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

What could have caused her to throw up blood? Did it have something to do with the outbreak? Surely it did… Hinata couldn't see it as any other way.

Suddenly more yells could be heard and they were getting closer. Maybe it was an accident of some sort. Hinata sat up, even though the heaviness on her chest and pressure on her eyes increased. She tried to deal with the pain.

People ran past her opened door. Hinata's eyes widened. Staring at her arm, she took out the IV. Slowly and with increasing pain, she got out of bed. Unfortunately, Hinata tripped on her own weak legs. When had she ever been so physically weak? She must have lost a lot more blood than she originally thought.

She slowly got up on her knees and then finally Hinata began to get up. Heaving and sweating, every step became more painful. It seemed as if her body hated working. It didn't matter. If her eyes were correct, the person in the arms of those people running past her door had been Hanabi.

Slowly walking, she finally got past her door. Hinata turned her head in the direction they had left and her eyes followed the trail of further blood. Pale-faced, her breathing became shallower. Please… anything but this. With clenched fists, Hinata used the fall as support. Tripping a few more times, she knew she had to see.

Hanabi had to live. She had to be okay. Her little beautiful sister couldn't be hurt or another victim of this outbreak.

Hinata's pale body finally reached the room where she heard others cry. Unknowingly, tears fell down her face. For there, her sister was lying on a medical bed with her eyes stabbed out, motionless. Hinata fell to her knees before the room. Why? Why were things only becoming harder?

"N-no…" her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Lady Hokage!" a girl yelled as she fell beside Hinata and tried to push her out of the room. Hinata felt numb as she pushed the girl away. Somehow, despite the searing agony in her bones and muscles, despite the hollow heaviness in her chest and her quickened breathing, she stood up and wobbled her way over to that beautiful little girl.

"Leave us!" she told them all harshly as she leaned forward on the medical bed for support. They all left the siblings reluctantly.

Hinata touched her younger sister's beautiful face and the lids of her eyes, the curve of chubby cheeks. Droplets of emotion fell from her own eyes as she clutched Hanabi to herself and cried the loudest she had before cried.

Hanabi was her father's daughter through and through and yet Hinata's mother had loved her youngest daughter the most. Hinata had vowed to protect her sister at all costs before their mother left them, even giving up her title so that her sister could have a better life. And now Hanabi was dead when she had barely had time to truly live.

After a while, Hinata stopped her pathetic whimpering. After that, she stared at her beloved younger sister's face for hours. She did not want to leave her side. Hinata did not want to show her face out there until she memorized Hanabi's face entirely. Every imperfection, every pore that Hanabi possessed, Hinata hoped to never forget and hide in the secrecy of her mind. In this room, Hinata vowed to leave behind all of her visible pain for her sister.

Konoha needed the strong Hinata that had come forth from nowhere. They did not need the teary-eyed, emotionally disrupted Hinata who could barely stutter her sister's name a centimeter beyond her lips. Hinata left the room in search of stability and strength for the orphans of Konoha who still remained and lived.

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**Author's Note:** Hope you didn't expect that! :D Review! Right now!

I hate this... I know that I hate people like this because they sound whiny but finally I understand! But I've never been bad with leaving reviews! Okay, you add a story to your alerts because you want it to update soon - duh - and you want to know immediately when it'll update. You also realize that sending a review of your opinions also makes authors want to write more and faster. Yet a majority of the people on the alert list, which is a lot, a lot more than I originally expected, haven't even left even one review. Then again, I've written 5 chapters in a matter of two days - really fast I think- so why would you care if you review or not since apparently I'm writing like crazy? I know stupid of me but I must RANT!

I'm not asking for people to review every single chapter, which one person has done, thank you very much **Aki666,** but at least one review would be nice. I hope this isn't terrible of me to ask but I can't help what I feel! Which is a lot since I've killed off so many people and made Lee unstable. So please either ignore this as most or some will or leave at least one review of your thoughts of the story because seriously, I have no idea where I'm going with this story. For those who have reviewed once, please ignore this and thank you very much! Even an "Update soon" or "Good job!" is good enough for me.


	6. Reflection

_**The Orphans of Konoha**_

Chapter Six: Reflection

_There's a bit of us in everyone else and it shows when we need it most_

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Hanabi did not… Hinata did not know whether to feel relieved or burdened. She rubbed her eyes from her white hospital bed. Indeed, after all these hits to her humanity, Hinata decided being numb was the best option.

"Please explain the situation again carefully," Hinata kept her tone as soft as possible. Yet her softness only sent shivers of terror down the little girl's body. Hinata felt like she was looking at a reflection of herself a couple of years back. The Hyuuga girl, originally from the Branch Clan, that stood before her had been Hanabi's best friend and also quite the daredevil if Hinata remembered correctly.

"Well… Hanabi's not b-been herself the last couple of days, you know? She's been l-locking herself in h-her father's room and c-crying to herself. N-Neji said to l-leave her alone, to g-give her s-space," Asura replied in a hurdle of stutters. They were standing in Hinata's hospital room with blinds shut and the door closed.

"So when you heard her scream, you ran into her room. An enemy shinobi had engaged Hanabi and taken her down?" Hinata tried to confirm. Asura replied by nodding her head vigorously. Something about this didn't feel right.

"It was a C-Cloud ninja, I'm sure of it. I r-recognized the symbol on his h-headband," Asura continued her explanation. Hinata did not feel reassured. What if it had been a fake headband? What if someone was trying to force them into a war with the Cloud? Konoha could _not_ afford a war, much less even sending someone to Cloud to enquire about Hanabi's death.

Hinata sighed and leaned her head against her hands for support. Breathing in and then looking up at the girl, Hinata continued her examination of Asura Hyuuga, a girl who had taken a 180 degrees change. Where had all of her previous confidence fled? The smell of burnt flesh flowed into Hinata's mind. Is that where Asura's confidence fled? Hinata didn't want to believe it that this child, someone who had painted her father's room all colors of the rainbow, was the same girl who stood before her. Yet children were still children… Hanabi had been proof enough of that.

"So then, while he was running away with her, several of our ninja engaged him. Hanabi woke up in the middle of the fray and realized that all of them were dead. How is it that you remained alive?" Hinata questioned the timid girl, feeling like an absolute bully.

"Y-you see… I hid in the trees. F-forgive me, Lady Hokage, for my w-weakness!" Asura bowed her head in shame.

"You did what you could. Do not bow," Hinata's sharpened voice only made Asura bow her head lower. Asura's Cursed Seal gleamed and prickled Hinata's sense of right and wrong. Yet she could not leave this little girl alone – not until she got the information she needed. Hinata needed to know… for Hanabi's sake.

"N-no! It's my fault that Hanabi stabbed her own eyes o-out. I-I… Somehow we had gotten a-away t-to no avail. He eventually caught up with us. I s-suggested that she s-stab her own eyes s-so that we... I-I did not think she w-would die – o-only be blind forever! W-we cannot a-afford for t-the enemy to have o-our secrets, Lady Hokage!" tears were streaming down Asura's chubby pale face by now. Her hands trembled with emotion as she brought it up to her mouth. Her stance weakened and shrunk away from Hinata. Yet what sympathy Hinata had for this girl vanished.

The Hyuuga had trained their offspring very well in guarding the secrets of the clan. Hinata had first-hand knowledge and realized she would have done the same thing if she were in Hanabi's position _if_ it had been suggested. Hinata hid her visual contempt for this girl yet she must have sensed her killing intent or why all this stuttering?

Such instilled training had forced Hanabi to take no other recourse but her own vision – it was a mark of strength her younger sister had been lacking these days: to take her own eyes and life before allowing herself to be handed over to the enemy. Yet the pride that Hinata felt for her sister's sacrifice collided with the affection she had for Hanabi. Hinata mentally shook her head. Hanabi had done the right thing. Hinata had to believe that it was right or else… Hinata looked at the trembling Asura… or else she would kill this girl right now for even suggesting such an action to Hanabi in such a chaotic time where the mind could easily make mistakes.

Sighing, Hinata tried to confirm more of the story, ignoring her inner turmoil of hatred and objectivity.

"So… eventually Hanabi took her own life? Why were you spared then?" she asked softly. The girl jumped to attention at the even softer voice. Hinata, in her softness, could not hide the steel of her character. That more than anything frightened Asura. Yet it wasn't only that… Hinata's eyes were freaking her out. Asura had never before seen such eyes on another Hyuuga.

"M-my brother and many others had c-came by then. Knowing that I had the Cursed Seal, h-he r-ran away since H-Hanabi was no longer…a-alive," Asura choked out as if she could not say that Hanabi was dead.

"Thank you for your information. You are dismissed," Hinata ordered after several moments. The girl promptly left the room in a ragged manner that Hinata was all too familiar with. When had _she_ changed so much?

An image of her father's pale face flashed through her mind but Hinata shook it off. She stared up at the ceiling of her hospital room. Sakura said she had to stay in the hospital for several more days as well as go through several tests. The pink-haired girl had seemed excited as if she knew what was plaguing them. Hinata hoped that Sakura did know – after all, Hinata was deathly afraid of needles. After all of Sakura's prodding this morning, Hinata did not want to go through it again.

"Hey! Hinata-chan! I brought you some delicious taro buns!" Naruto's booming voice could be heard through the hallways of the hospital.

He entered the room in the carefree happy manner she had always associated with him. Despite not eating ramen, he still smelled like sweet miso soup and noodles. Her lips gently curved, Hinata greeted him softly: "H-Hello Naruto-kun."

"Cool! Are you wearing colored contacts?" Naruto immediately asked as if it was the coolest thing in the world to wear colored contacts. His smile was contagious. Hinata felt all of her worries melt away at the sight of his smile. In her mind and heart, she was sitting at the beach with the sound of waves calming her.

Wait? She then realized the contents of his words.

"W-what are you talking about?" Hinata looked at him strangely. Naruto looked back at her strangely.

"Well… you've got red eyes, kind of like Sasuke yet there's no pupil," Naruto explained. He took a hand-held mirror from the table and handed it to her.

"See?" he pointed at the mirror, which confirmed his earlier statements. Hinata felt her heart try to jump out her throat as her reflection stared back at her. Her white eyes had probably changed to red during her examination of Asura. W-was that why the girl had been stuttering so much?

"Get Sakura, Naruto, here immediately! Quickly," Hinata leaned back in bed with a bewildered expression on her face. Naruto set down the bag of taro buns.

"Okay then," he scratched his head and left the room in search of his pink-haired teammate.

The blonde boy walked through the corridors of the hospital. Asking several others and passing by the nursery, Naruto learned that Sakura was on the roof. When he reached the roof of the hospital, his blue eyes shimmered with emotion.

For there on the roof, with a blue and white cloud backdrop, Sasuke held a crying Sakura. Naruto held himself back as he watched their interaction.

"I'm s-sorry. I… it's just been so hard these last couple of days. But now this epidemic can e-end," Sakura replied to a stiff looking Sasuke. To Naruto, Sakura had never been so soft-spoken. He tried to push away his feelings of jealousy for the Uchiha. This was not the time to be jealous of Sasuke.

"It's fine, Sakura," he looked away.

"W-well, I guess I should get going," Sakura stood up and pushed herself away from the arms of the Uchiha.

"Sakura, I want to tell you that I - " Sasuke began to say.

"Sakura-chan! Lady Hokage needs to see you immediately," Naruto interrupted the two purposely. Sasuke glared at the blonde boy with his Sharingan. Sakura turned around and nodded as she began to walk towards the stairs that Naruto was standing at.

As soon as she took a few more steps, Sakura tripped on her own feet. Knees on the floor, her green eyes widened in horror at the blood she coughed onto her own hands. Naruto widened his own eyes as he ran towards her. Sasuke took at a dead run down the stairs. Naruto held Sakura in his arms.

"S-Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled as the pink-haired girl began leaking blood from all entrance and exits of her body. Suddenly, she began to scream in his arms, thrashing in the strangest and creepiest of manners. Hinata hadn't reacted with such thrashing, Naruto thought. Sasuke had gone in search of help as Naruto watched his friend helplessly from Sakura's side, clutching her tightly to his chest.

"S-Sakura!" he begged the trashing and bleeding girl. The thrashing in his arms slowed down as strange tremors ran across her body. All of time and space suspended as Naruto's blue orbs met her green ones. In her eyes, Naruto saw a reflection of his own fears and confusion.

"The blood v-vessels… tell - " Sakura coughed out more blood onto Naruto's shirt. More blood leaked from Sakura's eyes and ears onto him. Her hands twitched as it understood what Naruto could not. All of Sakura's bodily functions began breaking, slowing down her heart beat and chance at life. She never again shook in his arms as she exhaled her last breath.

Naruto simply stared in wide-eyed horror at the paleness of her cheeks, the stillness of her lips and muscles and more importantly, the gleam of emptiness in her eyes.

Footsteps were heard in the distance.

"There they are! Hurry!" Sasuke yelled as he came to the roof. Naruto turned to face a panicking Sasuke.

Naruto did not cry or weep. How could he? Too many people had died… Naruto didn't want to feel anything anymore. He missed being alone… things had been simpler when all he had been an orphan. Having a connection, Naruto had never thought he would have to part with anyone. His dependency on his bonds to other was _killing_ him from the inside out. Naruto simply didn't want to care anymore… about Konoha… about Sakura or Sasuke or anyone else for that matter.

"She's dead," Naruto stated in a callous tone.

Sasuke angrily grabbed Naruto's shirt and pulled him forward so that they could meet face to face. "What the hell do you mean? She's not dead!"

Naruto had only seen Sasuke so out of control several times in his life and it had always concerned Sasuke's family, especially Itachi. For Sasuke to react so violently to Sakura's death brought Naruto new perspective yet Naruto could not bring himself to comfort his best friend.

"Yes, yes she is," Naruto sighed as he stared at his bloody hands. Had Hinata faced the same thing when it had first hit? Was this why the Hyuuga girl had changed so much? Where had she found the strength to get up after such a tragedy? Why… he continued staring at his hands… could he not find the strength to get back up? Hadn't Hinata once called him a proud failure? That he was strong because he could get up after taking so many hits? Yet, Naruto realized, he had just hit his limits. He couldn't bear to take anymore than he already had. Did that make him a bad person? That he could not always be strong for Konoha?

The medics began taking a still Sakura away down the stairs. Sasuke pushed Naruto away hard enough that Naruto roughly hit the wall of the raised stairway block.

"She's not going to die. They will save her. You must believe it, Naruto," Sasuke sounded desperate. Had Naruto ever been so gullible? Tears were streaming down the Uchiha's face. When had Uchiha ever cried? Naruto tried to remember a time and couldn't. Mentally he shook his head. What did it matter if Uchiha cried?

"Whatever you say," Naruto snorted as he leaned away from the wall Sasuke had previously thrown him at.

Angrily, Sasuke came at him with a punch. Naruto hit the wall again. Naruto's hands came to his cheek as he stared wide-eyed at the enraged Sasuke.

"You! What is up with you! You think you can hide behind your smiles and stupidity all the time! While Sakura is dying? Are you so depressed about not becoming Hokage? Where is your ninja way? Your sense of dignity?" Sasuke yelled at him.

Naruto's eyes narrowed at the boy in front of him, lecturing him as if he had the _right._ Naruto had done everything for his friend… how dare Sasuke lecture him!

"You don't understand anything! I gave up everything for Konoha, for you! To return and come home to this! What kind of home is this? Where we must burn everything and everyone who dies!" Naruto stood up and yelled back at the Uchiha.

"I never thought, that of all people, you would be like _this!_ You came after me for over four years! Me, when no one would believe in my goodness! Where is that relentlessness? The ability to get up after being struck? WHERE IS IT!" Sasuke came again at him. Naruto blocked the attack and kicked the Uchiha in his stomach.

Sasuke flew back several feet and fell onto his back. Glaring up at Naruto with blood on his lips, he spat at him. Naruto tried not to flinch.

"Sakura will not die!" Sasuke defiantly yelled as he stood up. He dusted the dirt off his back and shorts.

"Can't you see it, Sasuke! Sakura just died in my arms! Why won't you believe that?" Naruto yelled at he punched Sasuke again. Sasuke, still dusting himself off, was unprepared.

On the floor again, Sasuke stayed down as his downcast eyes poured droplets of emotion. Naruto… had changed for the worst. All of Sasuke's cold barriers disappeared. He had returned because of a blonde idiot. Now… he would do what his friend could not. Naruto was lost and in the dark as Sasuke had been. Sasuke would do what Naruto had done for him. He would help save Konoha, if that helped Naruto. He vowed it on his brother's grave.

"You made me want to be a better person… that it was possible for me to return from the dark. You made me _believe._ Where have you gone, Naruto? What have you done with my friend?" he whispered softly to the floor. Naruto took a guilty step forward but Sasuke stopped him as he lifted his hands.

"It doesn't matter. Konoha has asked too much of you these last several years. I realize that now. I will take what burdens you cannot, Naruto. I will make you believe again. It's the least I can do," Sasuke stood up and stared at his friend defiantly. Naruto felt like he was staring at a reflection of himself, which had disappeared in what seemed like so long ago. The defiance... the passion that bloomed in Sasuke simply made Naruto turn his eyes away. He could not... in good faith, handle realizing just how really weak he was. Naruto could not keep believing that things were going to end up in a happy ending as long as he put in effort. The genius of hard work had failed for the last time.

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**Author's Notes:** Thank you everyone :D for reading and supporting this fanfiction

Btw... I went to how many hits this story had... and it says 0? Is that possible? Something must be messed up with . A bug or something... is anyone else getting the same problem?


	7. Akagan Awakens

_**The Orphans of Konoha**_

Chapter Seven: Akagan Awakens

_For a shinobi, secrets are the deadliest weapons of all_

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**rewrite**


	8. Desperate Measures

_**The Orphans of Konoha**_

Chapter Eight: Desperate Measures

_Lies come natural to those who need it the most_

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**REdoing rewrite**


	9. A Haunted Past

_**The Orphans of Konoha**_

Chapter Nine: A Haunted Past

_Monsters of the night have nothing on the cruelty of real human beings_

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**rewrite**


	10. Disappearance

_**The Orphans of Konoha**_

Chapter Ten: Disappearance

_We lived in peace and took for granted everything, making pests of ourselves over the most minute details. Yet when everything is destroyed, when all you love fades and turn to ash, will we in turn abandon Home as know it?_

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**rewrite**


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